Blake Shelton makes a whopping $13 million per season from The Voice. He is one of the longest-serving judges on The Voice and his earnings has seen significant increase up from an initial $4 million salary.
The Voice, a singing reality TV competition that premiered on April 26, 2011, is broadcast on NBC and features two seasons annually. That means that Blake Shelton earns a staggering $26 million from the show annually.
Blake Shelton (real name: Blake Tollison Shelton, born June 18, 1976) is a renowned 47-year-old American country music singer and TV personality who has been serving on the show since its inception in 2011. This article explores how his participation in the show has affected his income streams.
What Is Blake Shelton’s Salary On The Voice?
As previously mentioned, Blake Shelton currently earns $13 million for every season he appears as a judge on The Voice. When the show made its debut in April 2011, Blake Shelton was one of the first four judges/coaches for the show. The other three judges/coaches were CeeLo Green, Adam Levine, and Christina Aguilera.
The Voice has premiered 21 seasons at the time of writing and has been graced with the presence of several iconic singers who have worked as coaches/judges on the show, including but not limited to Shakira, Usher, Pharrell Williams, Miley Cyrus, Gwen Stefani, John Legend, Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, and Ariana Grande amongst others.
Of all the singers mentioned above who have served as coaches/judges, Blake Shelton has been the mainstay of the singing competition reality series. It is important to note that when the show premiered in 2011, Shelton earned $4 million per season. However, as the show grew in popularity, so did Shelton’s pay package, eventually rising to the current $13 million in 2016.
Bearing in mind that The Voice, barring its debut year and 2022, has always premiered 2 seasons annually, and also the fact that Shelton has appeared consistently in all 21 seasons up to this point, suffice it to say that the legendary country singer has made more than $150 million as a judge on The Voice.
Breakdown of Blake Shelton’s salary and earnings on The Voice
- 2011 – $4 million (Season 1) = $4 million
- 2012 – $4 million each (Season 2 & 3) = $8 million
- 2013 – $4 million each (Season 4 & 5) = $8 million
- 2014 – $4 million each (Season 6 & 7) = $8 million
- 2015 – $4 million each (Season 8 & 9) = $8 million
- 2016 – $13 million each (Season 10 & 11) = $26 million
- 2017 – $13 million each (Season 12 & 13) = $26 million
- 2018 – $13 million each (Season 14 & 15) = $26 million
- 2019 – $13 million each (Season 16 & 17) = $26 million
- 2020 – $13 million each (Season 18 & 19) = $26 million
- 2021 – $13 million each (Season 20 & 21) = $26 million
The above summation, when put together, would bring the total amount of money that Blake Shelton has earned from the talent hunt reality TV show to $192 million. Note that the list does not include the 22nd season of the show, which will premiere on September 9, 2022.
Blake Shelton Is Not The Highest Paid Judge On The Voice
The list above shows how well-paid the judges/coaches of The Voice are. However, in-depth research has shown that Blake Shelton is not the highest-paid judge/coach at the moment or any point in the show’s history.
That distinctive honor and privilege belong to Ariana Grande. It’s no surprise that Ariana, whose only season on the show so far came in the 21st season, where she reportedly pocketed around $20-25 million, was paid that much.
However, to answer the question that would surely be on the minds of our readers regarding Ariana’s salary, it’s important to point out that the judges and coaches bring different qualities to the table, and as such, Ariana, who is regarded as one of the most technically gifted pop singers of her generation was brought in to handle the technical aspect of the coaching.
Does Blake Shelton Own The Voice?
Despite his longevity on the show, Blake Shelton is not the owner of The Voice franchise – even though it would be a forgivable thought for any fan of the show to think that the country musician is the owner of the show. However, The Voice was owned by Talpa Media until 2019, before ITV Studios took over ownership in 2020.
Nevertheless, Blake Shelton’s influence on the show cannot be understated, with the singer even declaring that he was in charge of the show after over 10 years as a judge/coach. His claim stems from an alleged clause in his contract that allows him to take charge and finally implement some of the changes he had been clamoring for since the show began.
Some of the changes include turning his big red chair into a reclining chair and adding a trampoline beside it so he can easily launch himself into it when he chooses to. Another change that Shelton wants to make to the show is changing the name to Blake Shelton’s The Voice.
He may not be able to implement all his wild ideas, but the country singer must get credit for helping to sustain the show up to this point. His shenanigans and charisma have been pivotal in drawing viewers to a show that has become as popular as American Idol and The X-Factor, amongst others.
Is Blake Shelton A Producer On The Voice?
Blake Shelton is not a producer on The Voice. As previously mentioned, The Voice is owned and produced by ITV Studios. The country singer is, however, one of the richest judges on the show after amassing more than $150 million on the show.
Blake Shelton reportedly has a net worth estimated to be around $100 million. Despite that the talented country singer has sold over 10 million albums in his career, the income he has earned as a judge/coach on the show has contributed to a significant part of his net worth.
As previously mentioned, Blake Shelton is not the richest judge in the show’s history. That accolade again belongs to Ariana Grande, who is reportedly worth a staggering $180 million. The table below will give a clear picture of who the richest judge on the show is.
| Judge/Coach | Salary per season | Estimated Earnings From The Voice | Estimated Total Net Worth |
| Ariana Grande | $20-25 million | $20-25 million | $180 million |
| Blake Shelton | $13 million | $150 million | $100 million |
| John Legend | $12-15 million | $60-65 million | $75 million |
| Kelly Clarkson | $14 million | $53 million | $45 million |
Note that the list above reflects just the judges who participated in the just concluded season 21 of the show and does not include past obviously more wealthy judges such as Shakira and Usher, who are reportedly worth $350 million and $180 million, respectively. On the evidence of the above table, however, Blake Shelton is the second richest coach on The Voice.
